


(Never) Too Late To Apologize

by dodger_sister



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Coda, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Fix-it, Episode Related, Fix-It, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:07:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28759296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dodger_sister/pseuds/dodger_sister
Summary: Carisi didn’t like the bitter taste in his mouth. Maybe they just needed to talk it out.
Kudos: 12





	(Never) Too Late To Apologize

**Author's Note:**

> Written in 2021.  
> Episode Coda for S22E04 “Sightless In A Savage Land”.  
> For all the SVU Diehards out there.

Carisi was shoulders-deep in case briefings when he heard the knock at his door. He looked up, a crick in his neck catching him halfway through the movement. Liv and Fin were standing in his office doorway, coats buttoned up to the top.

“Hey,” he said and sat up straight in his chair. His back popped right above his waistline. He may have been hunched over his desk for too long.

“Nice digs,” Fin said, looking around. Carisi couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or genuine.

“It used to be a storage closet, if you can believe that.”

“I can believe it,” Fin said with a smirk.

So, sarcastic then.

“Got a minute?” Liv asked.

“As long as it’s not about the Mullins case,” he said, but waved them in anyway.

“Naw,” Fin drawled, shoulders coming up to hunch around his ears. “It’s about the Davis case.”

Carisi felt the headache from this morning come slamming back, right behind his eyes.

Liv gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk, small and crammed together. Carisi just nodded at her and reached into his top drawer for the Ibuprofen.

“Please tell me you didn’t miss something,” he said. It was possible, given that his old squad had spent most of their time on the case working for the defense.

“We may have missed something,” Liv said in that soft, empathetic voice he’d heard her use with victims so many times before. “Like an apology.”

“What?” Carisi asked, swallowing down the pills with the remains of coffee gone stale hours ago.

Fin grimaced. “It’s been brought to our attention we may owe you one.”

Carisi let his eyes fall shut and bit back the groan threatening to escape from his throat. “Rollins,” he muttered.

“Naturally,” Fin said.

“To be fair, she’s not wrong,” Liv supplied, still in that soft tone.

“You guys don’t hafta…” Carisi started, but stopped short when Liv raised her hand, a reflex of his years being her subordinate.

“I think we do,” she said. “I need you to know we never intended for Barba to take the case like that. We were just trying to work out a deal for Mr. Davis.”

“You coulda come to me with that,” Carisi said and hated the bitter taste in his mouth. He wasn’t one to hold grudges and it didn’t sit well with him.

But maybe it was more hurt than grudge.

“You’re right,” Liv said, her voice dropping an octave, losing its soft tone. “And I should have thought about Barba’s…” and then she paused, chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before continuing, “…personal issues that may have clouded his judgement on this one.”

“None of that’s an excuse though,” Fin said. “Let’s be honest, most of the time, the DA’s office and the police are on the same side. But you know how SVU is – it’s not always gonna be like that. Some days we will see victims where your bosses – and you – will not.” Fin sighed, worried his fingers together. “I’m sorry, man. But that’s just the way it is.”

“You’re sorry that’s the way it is, but you’re not sorry you didn’t come to me first,” Carisi said and there was that bitter taste in his mouth again. He picked up the stale coffee and downed another swallow.

“Sorry about that too.”

Liv leaned forward in her chair then, met his eyes. “Me too, Carisi. I’m sorry too.”

He wasn’t sure if it was the coffee or the look in her eyes, but Carisi felt the bitter taste trickling down his throat, clearing away the last of it.

“Okay then,” he said, closure in his words. “Thank you for that.”

“Not for nothing, man,” Fin said, clasping his hands in his lap, “but you won _and_ we got the deal we wanted. Plus,” he said, a smirk crossing his face, “you got to wipe the floor with Barba in the courtroom.”

“I wouldn’t say I wiped the floor with him,” Carisi said, frown lines creasing his brow.

“From where I was sitting, you did,” Fin told him, full-on grin firmly in place.

“What’s the saying – the student becomes the master?” Liv asked and Carisi barked out a short laugh.

“Don’t let Barba hear you say that. He’ll take on more of my prosecutions just to prove you wrong.”

Fin stood up, shoved his hands in his pockets. “As if you didn’t love every second of it,” he said and gave Carisi what could only be categorized as a side-eye.

Carisi managed to keep a returning grin from his face, but only barely. He didn’t want to give Fin the satisfaction of knowing how right he was.

“So, are we ok?” Liv asked, genuine question in her voice.

“Yeah. Yeah, of course,” Carisi told her and found he meant it. 

Being on a different side from his old squad from time to time was the price he had to pay for this move to the DA’s office. Didn’t mean it didn’t sting sometimes.

Liv stood. “Well, we will let you get back to it then. Counselor,” she said, adding the last bit with a smile of pride that made Carisi’s cheeks heat up with blush.

They headed for the door then, while Carisi stretched and popped his back one last time.

“Fin,” he called out, just as they were about to reach the doorway. He waited for Fin to turn towards him before adding, “Congratulations.”

The incredible, joyous smile that breached Fin’s face made Carisi’s headache retreat again, nothing but a dull ache between his eyes.

“Thanks, man,” Fin said. “And listen, you better look good in a tux if you’re gonna be a groomsman. No slouches in my wedding party.”

Before Carisi could respond, Fin was out the door. Liv flashed him a smile before she too was out the door, leaving Carisi with a stack of briefs and a lot less bitter in his mouth.

Now all he could taste was cold, stale coffee.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little something I needed to make things right after that episode. It was a great ep, best in ages, but a proper apology was needed, don’t ya think? I pumped this out 3 days after watching the ep.


End file.
